The Elements and Workings of Mother Nature
by sissouthernink1994
Summary: Of all the things in this world, that we cannot predict or control the weather is top one. When Mother Nature has her say, and she always has her say, all we can do is follow along.
1. Intro

The Elements and the Workings of Mother Nature

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters, songs, products or name brands you'll recognize in this fic.

**Warning:** I think this will remain "T" throughout.

**A/N:** I've had it in my mind to write some one-shots associated with weather. I think this will be interesting. This is a multi-fic with characters from everywhere. I don't know who's showing up yet. I like challenging myself. If you are on Twitter you can follow me (at symbol) **sissouthernink**. I promise to follow back.

**Summary:** Of all the things in this world, that we cannot predict or control the weather is top one. When Mother Nature has her say, and she always has her say, all we can do is follow along.


	2. Seeing Clearly

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters, songs, products, radio stations or name brands you'll recognize in this fic.

**Warning:** I think this will remain "T" throughout.

**A/N:** This is NCIS snapshot is based on Jethro Gibbs and my OC Amirah Kahn. If you want to read more on these two, check out my fic "The Second Soulmate."

**Summary:** Jethro and Amirah get caught in the rain.

Chapter 1: Seeing clearly

**"…_Many a man curses the rain that falls upon his head, and knows not that it brings abundance to drive away the hunger__."_**

_**- Saint Basil**_

Every once in a while, Leroy Jethro Gibbs had a romantic thought that would cross his mind. Well, a thought that a woman would consider romantic anyway. It was a nice day and he decided that maybe he and Amirah could go on a picnic. But where to? The park was obvious. And since it was such a nice day, it would be crowded. Can't be romantic around all those people. So he decided on the lake. Yeah, that would do it. Nice quiet lakefront, maybe a romantic boat ride.

When he called about their date, he told her to dress comfortably and warm. She didn't ask why and he didn't offer. He was hoping this date would impress her a little. Sure, he could take Amirah to fancy restaurants, plays and movies but many times Jethro felt out of his elements. He liked the outdoors and although she was a city girl, he thought she might like them too. Not sure she would go camping with him, but this would be a start.

"Jethro, this is a beautiful area. Do you come here often?"

"Not as often as I'd like. It's very peaceful." He was taking their items out of the trunk.

"So what do you usually do when you come out here?"

"Sometimes I fish, hike. Most times, I just sit and think. I've had a couple of great naps out here."

"Ha, yeah I can imagine. This would be an excellent place to read. The air is so nice and crisp."

"Yeah, it's the pine trees fault." They laughed. "Come on. I thought we'd take a boat ride to the other side of the lake, hike a little then eat lunch."

"Sounds good." Amirah said. They started walking towards the boathouse. Without thinking, Jethro slipped his hand around hers and she didn't resist. It made her smile, made them both smile actually. "The lake is larger than I imaged."

"Yeah, it's a pretty good size. Maybe we can go fishing sometime."

"Fishing?" Amirah turned up her nose. "With worms? Ewww!"

"Well, I usually like to fish with grasshoppers but if you want to use worms we can."

"Grasshoppers?" She said shivering at the thought of touching either of those things. Jethro laughed at her. "You're laughing?" She stopped walking and placed her hands on her hips. "What's so funny?" Jethro took her hand and kissed it.

"You are; you're such a girl."

"Hmm, yes and we wouldn't be going out if I wasn't."

They reached the boathouse and he selected a sturdy rowboat for them. Jethro assisted Amirah with getting into the boat. She was nervous because she had never done this before. He assured her everything would be ok. He placed the basket and blanket between them then handed her an oar. After showing her how to use it, (so they wouldn't be going in circles) they were off to the other side of the lake.

After about twenty minutes, they reached the other side of the lake. Jethro slung the rope out, tied the boat to the dock and assisted Amirah out of the boat. Amirah shook out her arms; they hadn't had a workout like that in a long time. Jethro shook his head and laughed.

"What's funny now?"

"You teach a dance class but you wouldn't last a day in boot camp."

"It's a different type of exercise, I grant you that. But you're probably right; I wouldn't last long in boot camp."

"Let's see how you do with a hike."

"There's no snakes up there, right?" She asked as she looked around to the wooded area. Jethro looked up and shrugged.

"Don't know. Might be."

"You don't know? You've been here before and you don't know if there are snakes?"

"I've never seen any. But that doesn't mean there aren't any." Jethro headed over to a large silver bin that looked like a tall footlocker.

"Does that go for bears and everything else?" He nodded as he pulled out a lock from the picnic basket.

"Yep. That's what these are for. I'm locking up the food while we walk so the animals don't get it."

"So what should we do if we see a bear?"

"Running might be a good idea."

"Just run huh?"

"Yep. Don't go near food or trees. They can climb those too."

"So with all your military training, you're telling me that you can't kill a bear?"

"Nope, haven't been trained to kill bears." He said as he finished locking up the food. "Besides, it's not even bear season."

"Jethro!" She sighed.

"Well, it's not. Anyway, we should be fine." He walked up to her, placed his arm around her waist. "And you know I will always protect you, no matter what." He leaned closer and kissed her forehead.

"I'm counting on that."

They started walking up the trail and Jethro was pointing out the various things about their surroundings such as trees, leaves, plants. Amirah was glad that she brought her camera along. She was able to take some pictures of the beauty of the trees and nature in general. She was able to take some pictures of some birds she'd never seen before; her nephew would like those. He'd probably be able to tell her what they were too.

Jethro laughed at himself for the history lessons he was telling Amirah. That was usually Ducky's department. Although, she looked like she was enjoying it. Maybe she just liked the sound of his voice. Maybe it was just in her nature to be inquisitive. She was a teacher after all; imparting and importing knowledge was her passion. Jethro liked that about her. She was intelligent, funny, and beautiful. Amirah was willing to be patient with someone like Jethro and he was grateful for that because he wasn't the easiest person to get to know.

After coming back down the trail, they stopped at the restrooms before heading back to their locker. The air had taken on a slight chill and Amirah was glad that she took Jethro's suggestion to heart, dressing warmly. Neither of them noticed that the reason for the chill was the cloud cover. They couldn't exactly see it for the trees but it was there.

"Where do you want to sit?" Jethro asked after retrieving the basket from the locker. Amirah looked around and seeing the all the available tables had be taken by families, she suggested the quiet space they had just passed. Jethro spread out the blanket he'd brought and Amirah sat down. They still had an excellent view of the lake, the rest of the trails and trees in the background. There was an area for a fire pit next to them so Jethro started fire to chase away the chill and cook part of their lunch.

"Forever a boy scout huh?" She teased. He smiled at the compliment. At least he hoped it was a compliment.

"Got it more from just plain old camping. But yea. Kinda hard to get rid of. Every once in a while I get to use it while working. Not often but it's great information to have in my back pocket. It always impresses my team too." Jethro looked up at Amirah as she was looking out towards the lake. She was leaning back on her hands with her legs stretched out and crossed at her ankles. He admired the curves of her body. The ethnicity of her hips and long hair framing her face excited him, making his heart skip a few beats. He didn't think that was still possible. Jethro quickly looked away so it wouldn't seem like he was staring. Although he really was.

"Do you need any help with anything?"

"Nope. I've got it." The fire was going at a great rate so he put on the hot dogs he'd brought. From the few conversations they'd had, Jethro knew some of the foods in Amirah's heritage that she liked such as hummus with pita chips and fresh fruit. "For you because you suggested it." He brought out the items and waited for her approval.

"This hummus is really good. I've never heard of this brand, but I will have to try this. Have some." Jethro looked at it and shook his head.

"Nah, I'm good. I'm more of a true camping food kinda guy."

"Jethro, I can't eat all this hummus by myself." She took a chip, got a generous scoop, and headed towards his mouth. "Come on, one bite. For me?" One look into her sweet hazel eyes and he knew he wouldn't be able to deny her anything. He opened his mouth and let her place the chip in. She waited as she watched him chew. "Well?" Jethro shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess it's alright."

"Just alright?" He shrugged again.

"Yep."

"Do you ever eat much Indian cuisine?"

"Every once in a while. Mostly when we're working late and Abby orders dinner for us before we all voice what we want. She's big on eating…healthy stuff."

"Healthy stuff, like veggies?"

"Yeah, something with lentils and eggplant. And I can't remember the other dish…Tandoori something or other." He shook his head showing his distaste for Abby's food selection. Amirah laughed.

"If you didn't like it, why did you eat it?"

"It was late and the vending machines hadn't been filled yet. They only had chocolate and gummy bears." Amirah really laughed.

"Oh, poor Jethro. Well, I can fix your distaste for it."

"Yeah, not gonna happen."

"Come on now! Give me a chance. One meal and I will have you convinced that you like Indian food."

"I like meat and potatoes. Mostly steak and I hear that's a holy animal in Indian cuisine." Jethro was turning over the hot dogs, as they were almost ready.

"I like steak." He looked up.

"Come again?"

"I like steak."

"We're talking real steak. Beef, porterhouses, t-bones, flank, New York Strip. None of that tofu-whatever Abby tries to pull on me."

"Yes, real steak. Well done with a little bleu cheese crumbled on top."

"You're not making sense."

"I became a Christian when I turned sixteen. When I left my father's Hinduism and my mother's Buddhism, I left some of the food traditions behind."

"Why?"

"'Cause I wanted a _real_ hamburger. Bacon cheeseburger to be exact." Jethro laughed at this new revelation from his date.

"Not that. Why did you leave the religions?"

"I needed a change. Nothing was working for me. I watched a televangelist one day, starting asking friends at school about it, got invited to some churches. Eventually I found my way."

"And your parents didn't protest?"

"Oh they did but they let me go thinking it was just a phase, until I joined my friend's church. And they saw how happy I was, how things were changing for me."

"Wow." Jethro replied as he took the hot dogs off, placing them in buns before offering them to Amirah.

"I felt so much better about life and the way things were going to work out. Oh, ketchup please. They let me be. I was able to go get a few scholarships the church offered for school."

"You still there?"

"Every Sunday. You're more than welcome to come with me." She suggested. Jethro just shook his head.

"I'm not there yet. Maybe one day I will be."

"At least that's not a 'no'. I can live with that." She took a bite of her hot dog. "Hmmm, beef hot dogs. I like these." Jethro sat back down on the blanket and took a bite of his.

"So what did you substitute for beef? Nothing tastes or cooks like it."

"Mostly lamb. Lamb can be lean and you can pretty much treat it like beef. It can be roasted, you know like rack of lamb. The rack can be grilled. There's leg of lamb, lamb tenderloin, lamb chops-"

"You're starting to sound like that scene in 'Forest Gump'."

"Well, my favorite way to have lamb is ground, like ground beef. Then you can make meatloaf, burgers and brown it for spaghetti."

"Hmmm, lamb burger."Amirah nodded.

"Yep, with bacon and Colby cheese. Lamb sausage is great too. My uncle makes the best. It tastes just like a Polish sausage and when you put grilled peppers and onions on top, wow it's just the best."

"I'll have to try that."

"I love to take you by Uncle Rajesh's restaurant. You could come for belly dancing and then we just go across the street for lunch."

"We'll see."

* * *

><p>Jethro and Amirah continued their conversation and in between words ate lunch. The sound of nature and families enjoying themselves was their soundtrack. They were done eating but Jethro let the fire keep going to provide warmth as it had gotten a little chillier. Jethro sat closer to her because he like being near her. He was getting used to the idea of being close to a woman again. Amirah really was beautiful and he liked looking into her eyes. Ok, so it was an interrogation tactic he liked to use, but it was one that worked no matter the situation. The old adage was so true; the eyes are the windows to the soul.<p>

While sharing a particular juicy piece of fruit, the juice dribble down Amirah's chin. She reached for a napkin but Jethro kissed the nectar before the droplets got too far. She smiled as he smiled, then he leaned in to kiss her. It was a gentle capturing of the lips, innocent and sweet made sweeter by the fruit. Amirah's hand came up to cradle the side of Jethro's face as his came to rest on her waist. He was completely overtaken by the kiss. It deepened as her lips parted to let his tongue know that it was very welcome to be there. He almost pulled back in disbelief; he couldn't believe his life was turning around like this. He went from marriage to marriage to no one being in this life, nearly pushing away every single woman who could have been interested. What made her so different? Amirah pulled away and his blue eyes again met her hazel ones.

"Why'd you stop?" He asked.

"To breathe." They both chuckled and smiled. "I take it you like kissing me?" The crow's feet on his face wrinkled as he smiled.

"I think like is an understatement." Amirah moved closer to him, nearly sitting in his lap.

"So don't stop." This time she placed both her hands around his waist as their lips joined again. They were so into themselves and their kisses that neither of them heard the far off but not too far rumblings of thunder. Jethro only heard the pounding of his own heart, feeling excitement he hadn't felt in a long time.

Amirah felt something wet in the top of her head but she dismissed it as sap from one of the trees. Jethro jumped a little at the feeling on her warm hand easing up his shirt. He didn't expect that. Soft rumblings seemed to float from inside his heart and play in his throat. He didn't expect that either.

"My god…kissing you is gonna get me in trouble." He said as his lips travelled to her cheek. She laughed.

"A little trouble is ok every once in a while, yes?" She asked winking. He pulled her closer to him.

"Yeah." This time as he leaned in to kiss her he felt a few drops on the top of his head. He looked up, ready to dismiss it as tree sap until he saw the dark clouds quickly rolling in. "I think it's going to rain."

"What? Rain? Its not supposed to rain today." And before they could even get up from the blanket, the downpour started. The rain immediately put out the fire. "Ahhhh, what now?" Jethro handed her the basket as he started placing the items back in.

"There's no way we can boat across in this. We'll just have to wait it out." Amirah looked around at the other visitors scrambling for shelter.

"Wait where?" Jethro had finished and grabbed the blanket. He looked around and saw a small shelter space that had a map of the area around the lake. There were several benches where they could sit.

"The map over there." She saw it and they ran over. They weren't in the rain for very long but they were completely drenched.

"Wow, that's some downpour. I'm soaked!" She looked at Jethro and laughed a little as he was shaking off the excess water.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just that…I got this funny image of you as a cute little boy going fishing or something."He had to laugh at that one himself.

"Well, thanks to my dad we didn't have too many times that we got wet. Rainstorms caught us, but we didn't get drenched much." Amirah turned to look out at the rain. The clouds were so dark and menacing but she saw no lightening. She hoped that was a good sign.

"Do you think we'll have to spend the night out here?" He looked out as well.

"I don't think so. Feels just like a rain shower, I don't hear much thunder. We'll definitely have to empty out the boat but it's not hard to do." The temperature had already dropped with the falling rain, now chilly winds were blowing and despite her warm clothes, Amirah started to shiver. "Come here." Jethro straddled one of the benches that was there and motioned for her to join him. She followed suit. He wrapped his arms around her waist then surrounded them with the blanket. She instantly felt warmer, even if the blanket was a little wet.

"Better?"

"Yes, much. Thank you."

"Thank you for joining me today. Sorry about the rain."

"Like you had any control over that. And you're welcome. I had a great time, getting to know more about the camping Boy Scout."

"Ah, I didn't talk that much."

"But I know you don't share a lot but you did share."

"Let me guess Abby and Ziva?"

"Yes, they did tell me that. But I'm grateful for what you do share with me about yourself." She pulled his arms closer about her, leaned back and laid her head on his shoulder. "I just don't want you to stop sharing with me. I like getting to know you for you, not just what Abby, Ziva and Jimmy told me."

"It's hard for me to share and open up. I'm just not that type of person, just not wired that way."

Amirah looked down at Jethro's hands. They were broad and strong, calloused from his woodworking. She rubbed her fingers over them, an act he didn't quite understand. She came across the blue/black fingernail that he obviously became the target when he missed what he was supposed to hit. Then she brought the rough hands to her lips, kissed them then held them close to her heart.

"You know, you don't have to go through the rest of your life alone." A sudden clap of thunder made them huddle closer together. Amirah turned to look at him. "I don't know much about those other women but I do know that if you gave us a chance you wouldn't regret it."

"Love is complicated." Jethro replied.

"Yeah it is. But if it were easy everybody would be doing it and doing it the right way." He thought about what Amirah said.

"True. That's very true." He was silent. In the distance he could see lights of some kind that would probably be making their way to them in a little bit. Jethro thought about his life and where he was. The possibility of love was always lurking, but he never let go enough to let it in.

"Don't you ever get tired of being lonely? Don't you want someone to share your life with? I know I do."

"You lonely? As beautiful as you are, there should be guys running each other over just to be in your presence."

"I wish. That's my sister's life, not mine."

"yes, I do get lonely. Yes, I would love to share my life with someone."

"Why don't you?"

"That's a good question. Why don't I?" A quote came to his head from Marty, a friend of his dad's that would help at the store from time to time.

"…_**Many a man curses the rain that falls upon his head, and knows not that it brings abundance to drive away the hunger."**_

Deep down Jethro always wanted love after Shannon died. And he tried, three times. Love was always potentially around him but he never took the time to let himself be open to it because none of them were Shannon. He was suffering because of it. Amirah, something about her made him think of Shannon. It was as if he could hear Shannon's voice in his heart, egging him on. But why would she do that? Maybe he should take a chance and find out.

"Earth to Jethro." Amirah said.

"Do you want to help me?"

"Help you with what?"

"Learn to share my life with someone again. I'm not an easy person to get along with, but you already know that."

"So what are you saying?"

"I'm not saying, I'm asking if you will be in my life, be my lady and help me to learn how to share my life again." Amirah smiled.

"I would love to!"

"You're gonna need patience."

"Jethro, I teach college students for a living; I got patience figured out." She placed her hand on the side of his face and kissed him. The lights of jeeps belonging to park rangers interrupted their kiss.

"You folks alright?" They called out.

"Yeah, we're fine. Just waiting until we can boat back across the lake." One ranger got out of the jeep and walked over to them as a few other drove on ahead to where the other visitors were.

"I'm Ranger Frye. The flash of rain has flooded the river and is heading this way with more rain. It won't be safe to boat back. We're driving people back to the other side. If you folks are ready to go, we can take you now."

"Works for me." Amirah said as she stood. Jethro helped her into the jeep as two others joined them.

Once back on the other side, Jethro was able to get Amirah home. She invited him in for coffee, to warm up and to talk about the decision they'd made at the lake.


	3. Welcome to Miami

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters, songs, products, radio stations or name brands you'll recognize in this fic.

**Warning:** I think this will remain "T" throughout.

**A/N:** In my fanfiction world Detective Eric Delko (CSI: Miami) and Detective Donald Flack (CSI: New York) will eventually be a couple. I don't have an official story on them yet (it's coming but it's gonna be a while) but you can get another snapshot of them in my fic entitled "Dreams". Oh, Spanish words in italics, translation in parenthesis. I used Google Translate.

**Summary:** Trips are not always about the destination. Sometimes it's about the lessons learned on the journey.

Chapter 2: Welcome to Miami

Detective Donald Flack was ready to head out of New York City and to the wonderful warm beaches of Miami. And the wonderful warm arms of his boyfriend Eric. It had been a rough couple of weeks at work and a rough couple of months for them as a couple. Work and family kept derailing their plans for a weekend reunion. Don hardly ever missed work so he had tons of vacation days on his record that his boss said he was going to lose if he didn't use them. So he decided to take a week off and head to Miami to see Eric with Eric working two of those days. A whole seven days alone with Eric. Oh the things we can get into, he thought. And Donnie was just in time to escape a fast approaching snowstorm to the tri-state area. Or so he thought.

Walking through JFK to his gate, Don just happened to notice the statuses on flight boards had a lot of red words on them. Red words that said: cancellation. He hurried to his gate to make sure his flight wasn't one of those in red. No such luck. Just as he approached his gate, the gate clerks were announcing that his flight was cancelled until further notice.

"Cancelled? The storm is still four hours out. Why are they cancelling flights now?" He asked the clerk.

"It's just a precaution at the moment sir however we do have reports that some of the planes' wings are icing over." He looked towards the nearest window and saw nothing but gray clouds in the sky.

"But there's no snow. Just great." He groaned. "I'm supposed to be in sunny warm Miami in a few hours. How long until we know something?"

"I'm not sure sir. Please have a seat here and we'll give you updates as soon as we get them." Don sighed.

"Thanks." He walked over the waiting area and looked for a comfortable empty seat. He took a closer look outside the window, not one single snowflake. Not even a raindrop. There some empty seats left, but after about an hour, none of them were going to be comfortable. He spotted an older gentleman sitting alone, walked over to him and asked, "Are any of these seats taken?"

"Oh no, please make yourself comfortable. Or as comfortable as you can be."

"Thanks." Don placed his carryon bag under the chair, draped his coat over it and plopped down into the seat. He decided to call Eric and let him know what was going on with the weather.

"Hello?" Eric answered.

"Hey _hermoso_ (beautiful)."

"You ready to leave the city?"

"Me yes, I'm ready. The plane not so much."

"Why? What's going on? I thought the snowstorm wasn't coming 'til later tonight?"

"So did I, but right now the planes are starting to ice up, from some miraculous water that I just can't seem to see and they are canceling flights until further notice."

"Really?" Eric complained. "So you don't know how long you'll be there do you?"

"Nope."

"Damn! That might put a damper on dinner plans for this evening."

"_Lo sé, pero ¿qué puedo hacer bebé? __Estoy a merced de la Madre Naturaleza_ (I know but what can I do baby? I'm at the mercy of Mother Nature)."

"I was hoping you'd be able to miss the snow."

"I know, me too. And you know I'd much rather be in Miami with you than stuck in the city with all the snow."

"Well be together soon enough. Keep me posted ok?"

"Ok. I can't wait to see you _lindo _(cutie)." The thought made them both smile, even though neither of them could see, they could definitely hear it in the other's voice.

"Me too. Anxiously waiting for that plane to get here."

"_Y yo para siempre_ (I love you sweetheart)" Don said.

"_Te amo demasiado_ (I love you too)", Eric replied. When his conversation with Eric was finished, Don sighed a weary sigh.

"I hope they get these planes up and running soon."

"I couldn't help but hear that you're on your way to Miami?" The older man next to him asked.

"Yeah going to spend some time with the love of my life."

"That's wonderful. Anytime you get to spend time with those you love should be cherished greatly."

"Oh and believe me we do. Because of work we only get to see each other every other month or so. This time it's been three months."

"My goodness! What kind of work are you in that doesn't allow you time to travel?"

"Detective with NYPD and Crime Scene Investigator with Miami-Dade Police Department." Don reached into his wallet, pulled out a card and gave it to the man. "Donald Flack, Jr. I work in the homicide division, but if you ever need anything, you can give me a call. If I can't help, I'll find someone who can."

"Good to know, thank you. I'm Theodore Marquez. Nice to meet you." They shook hands.

"Same here. So where are you headed?"

"Out west to Tombstone, Arizona for our granddaughter's wedding."

"I've never been there, but I've heard it's beautiful."

"Oh, it is. You and your sweetheart must go sometime. Some of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets I've ever seen in my life. I worried at first when our daughter said she wanted to go, you know because it was so far from New York, but I'm glad she did. It fits her so well."

"As much time as we spend apart, I'm sure I wouldn't miss the city from October to March. I could definitely see myself living in Miami. I'm burnt out on snow."

"Oh it's not that bad."

"After about two days, I'm ready for it to go. My sweetie loves it though; would play all day in it like a kid if possible."

"Sarah, our daughter usually visits for Thanksgiving and Easter; that's usually enough cold for her." Theo said.

"I'm definitely digging the idea of a warmer client. Not to mention that we'd be in the same city for more than a week. I don't know how people survived long distance relationships without technology. If we weren't able to Skype, text or talk on the phone anytime, I don't know what we'd do."

"You two should explore the art of lover letters. It's an excellent way to communicate and it makes for great stories for your children and grandchildren. My Lu and I wrote to each other for nearly three years."

"Three years? Wow! I can't imagine it."

"You see we really didn't have a choice at the time. In those days, sometimes you had to leave the town you lived in to find work and send money home. I was teaching here in the city and Lu was in Detroit for a while, and our feelings for each other were entangled in our letters; it's what kept us going. We couldn't call everyday. I can't begin to tell you the joy that overcame me when I received a letter from Lu."

"We've done that. Not consistently though. I found a note of encouragement in my laptop bag two weeks after I had come back once. I was having a horrible week so I guess I found it when I was supposed to."

"I think so. Mine always seemed that way."

"So how long have you and Lu been together, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Oh no I don't mind. We've been together fifty-two years this coming June."

"Wow! My parents will make forty this year. I want this relationship to last like that."

"And just how long have you and your _pretendiente_ (beau/suitor) been together?" Don looked at Theo with confusion and disbelief.

"How did you know I'm in love with a man? Did I give myself away? Did I mention his name?"

"You didn't have to. I'm a Spanish professor and I recognized that you used _lindo_ for cutie instead of _chica_."

"Ah, I see. Since we're both in law enforcement, we have to be careful. We may be out and proud but not all our brothers and sisters in blue accept it."

"That's such a shame. As dangerous as your jobs are they should just be grateful that you want to serve."

"And we both serve proudly."

"What's his name?"

"Eric and we've been together almost a year and a half. Here's his picture." Don held his phone up so Theo could see his screensaver. Don had taken a picture of them the last time they were together. It was a small dinner party at Sheldon's apartment and they were standing in the kitchen.

"That's a good start for a life together. Oh, he's very handsome. I see why you're in love. And he's tall too."

"Yes. We're the same height. I like that."

"Did you meet here in the city?"

"Actually no. It's kind of strange how we met. We met at a club in Miami. I was vacationing with some friends. Neither one of us started out gay. I guess we both had male-female relationships that just weren't working. We each had a friend suggest we try something different, meaning dating someone of the same sex. I had dated a few guys with no fireworks but the first time I saw him in the club something happened. I don't really know how to describe it. There was this… instant attraction."

"_La belleza del amor joven_ (The beauty of young love). I can tell how much you love him by the way your eyes light up."

"Yeah, we didn't talk for six months after we met though because I lost his number and the MDPD wouldn't give it to me. I don't think they delivered my messages either probably thought I was a stalker or something. But we had another chance meeting when our cases crossed and his team came to the city. It's been good ever since." Theo smiled.

"He sounds like a great guy. Have you thought about getting married?"

"I've thought about it. We haven't talked about it yet. The thought of raising kids kind of scares me though. I know he wants a family because it's just him and his mom now."

"Oh, you'll surprise yourself at how parenting will change you. And don't be scared of what people say. If straight parents can raise gay kids, then gay parents can raise straight kids." Just then, another gentleman came over to them, carrying a cup holder with what looked like two cups of coffee and a brown bag for pastries.

"Theo _mi amore_ (my love) I couldn't find any doughnuts but I did find a bakery with these huge _galletas de mantequilla de maní _(peanut butter cookies) that smelled so good and," he said setting the cup holder on the table in front of them "they had a blend of coffee that tastes like the one we had in Mexico at my cousin's restaurant."

"Oh it smells wonderful." Don wasn't sure what to say. He just **knew** Lu was a _woman_. He watched Theo take a sip of this coffee and smile in approval. "Lu let me introduce you to one of New York's finest, Detective Don Flack this is my husband Lu Marquez." Lu put forth his hand to shake and Don did.

"_Buenos dias_ (Good day) to you sir. I see you've been keeping my husband company while we wait?"

"Nice to meet you too. Actually, I think it's the other way around. You know, when you mentioned the name Lu I just assumed you meant Lucille or Lucy." The couple chuckled.

"Ah, Lu is short for Luka." Theo replied.

"Everyone needs a nickname, yes?" Lu asked.

"I guess so." Don replied. "You guys mind if I pick your brains about something?"

"No, go ahead." Lu replied.

"How can we help?"

"Do you mind if I record this, to share with Eric?"

"Not at all." Theo replied then turned to Lu. "Eric is his boyfriend who lives in Miami." Don set up his phone to video record the couple.

"How did you manage to be together back in the day? I mean people are more tolerant now but it's still a struggle for acceptance for us. How did you manage to escape the harshness and hatred?"

"It wasn't easy. I know it's not easy for you now but you have it so much easier than we did. Back then homosexuality was considered a mental disease and people could have you committed." Theo said.

"Yeah, you were considered crazy, a menace to society." Lu added. "We had to hide our love for a long time. It was a little easier when I was in Detroit because we were rarely seen together. But I missed him like crazy." Lu took hold of Theo's hand and smiled at him. "I had to keep it from my family because we were Catholics and I didn't want my family to be excommunicated because of me. It would have been so easy for the church leaders to do that. So I left the church I grew up in and we lived together in silence so to speak to protect our families."

"Years later we were able to include our families but for a long time it was just us. When our children came into our lives we felt that our love was given a bigger purpose."

"It's the same with us. We're both Catholic and Eric's mom had a really hard time with him coming out. She raised him and his sister by herself mostly; Marisol was murdered so Eric is all she had left. She feels like she did something wrong in raising him. And my parents are the same; they respect my decision but can't accept it yet. My dad is the one thinking he didn't raise me the right way, especially since I followed in his footsteps and became a cop."

"But that's what I was telling you about the children. We raised five. Two are gay, Sarah and Peter. Sierra, our granddaughter bride, says she feels fortunate to have been raised by two moms. We taught them how to love and respect people. Even if all of them had been straight, we would still be proud of all of them because they are our children. They have each figured out what they want to do with their lives and are living it. Couldn't have asked for better confirmation of how we raised them than that."

"Neither could I." Lu said. "I'm proud to say I have gay and straight children **and** gay and straight grandchildren. My life wouldn't be the same if they weren't who they are."

"That's so cool. Makes me rethink the possibility of having kids. You asked if Eric and I were going to get married. How did you get married when the states are just now starting to recognize gay marriages?"

"We had a nice quiet ceremony back in 1959 at a friend's house. Our reception was an elaborate dinner in her elaborate dining room. A few days later I went and legally changed my last name." Theo replied.

"No one thought that strange? That you were applying to change your name?"

"If they did, they didn't say anything. I was born Theodore Browne but I've been Theodore Marquez for fifty-two years."

"So you guys had commitment ceremony when they weren't popular."

"Yes. And in honor of our forty-fifth wedding anniversary, we went to Boston to get our piece of paper." said Lu.

"I bet you were all smiles that day."

"Oh yes. And all of our children and grandchildren were with us. It was an absolutely beautiful day. It was special just like our first ceremony."

Before Don could ask his next question, they heard the announcement that his flight would be ready to board in twenty minutes.

"Hey, the way they were talking earlier, I didn't think I was going to get out of here until tonight." Don said.

"I'm glad you'll be on your way to see Eric." Theo said.

"Me too." Lu replied as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a card of his own to pass to Don. "We would love to show you both sets of our wedding photos. The next time Eric is here you two should come over for dinner."

"What's this?" Don asked as he received the card.

"Oh, it's our information. If either of you have questions, please feel free to call, e-mail and ask." Theo said.

"That's so sweet of you. Thank you so much. I'm sure after seeing this Eric would love to meet you too." Don looked at the card and his mouth dropped in surprise.

**Dr. Rev. Luka Márquez, D.D., Ph.D**

**LGBTQ Counselor and Educator**

**Ordained Minister**

"_You're_ an ordained minister? A gay ordained minister?" Lu nodded.

"What can I say? God calls whom He calls. I perform weddings and funerals. I counsel couples in the LGBTQ community and aid those who need help coming out or have just come out."

"So this is your church?"

"Yes. I'm not the pastor though, just a minister there. Our congregation is majority LGBTQ but we accept all those who want to worship or need prayer. You are welcome to come any Sunday that you aren't working, if you don't feel comfortable going to a Catholic church."

"Cool. I just might do that."

"Go on, we don't want you to miss your flight." Theo said. "It was really nice meeting you Don. I enjoyed the conversation."

"So did I. I'm looking forward to having dinner with both of you the next time Eric is here." He stood to gather his bag and coat. The Marquez couple stood to shake his hand. "Enjoy Arizona and your granddaughter's wedding."

"We will. You enjoy your time in Miami."

"I most certainly will." The trio shook hands and Don headed to the door so he could board. Once on the place he sent Eric a text saying that he was boarding the plane and that the next time he was in the city they had dinner plans with a gay ordained minister and his husband.


	4. Leaves and Apples

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters, songs, products, radio stations or name brands you'll recognize in this fic.

**Warning:** I think this will remain "T" throughout.

**A/N:** In my world, Dr. Spencer Reid is married to Simon Allman and they have two children, Lilli and Daniel. For this snapshot of this family's life, Lilli is about six and Daniel is eight.

**Summary:** Fall fun for the Allman-Reid family.

Chapter 3: Leaves and Apples

_**Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn. – Elizabeth Lawrence**_

Spencer was so glad that he had actually put in for a few vacation days around the kids' fall break. Not only did he actually need the break from work, he actually had a chance to bond with his children in a way he didn't normally have. Sure he would miss work for a few days and there was always the chance that the team would be called somewhere for a case. But one of the greatest lessons that he learned from his mother, before-during-and after her episodes, was to spend as much time as you could with your children. That particular memory and space of time will never present itself again.

This crisp Friday afternoon the family was raking leaves in the backyard. Simon was taking a break, documenting the changing colors of the leaves. Simon was always taking pictures of nature, well of everything really. With his job in print advertising, it paid off sometimes to have that just right photo that no one would be able to find because he was the only one who would have thought to take a picture of it. It also helped in teaching his classes at the university.

"Why do they call it fall daddy?" Lilli asked. "Is it because the leaves fall off the trees?" Simon laughed.

"Possibly sweetheart. The correct name is autumn and it's the season between summer and winter."

"We learned that in school." She replied.

"Why do the colors change?" Daniel asked.

"Do you just want an answer or the scientific answer?" Spencer asked his son. Daniel, knowing that his papa could talk forever on a subject before telling someone what they _wanted_ to know, opted for just an answer. "Well, it's what they are supposed to do." He gave Spencer an annoyed look. "What? You said you just wanted an answer."

"Papa…"

"I know, I know. Well, you know how plants live right?"

"They take the water we give them from the ground and use the carbon di, carbon di…"

"Carbon dioxide." Spencer prompted.

"They use the carbon dioxide and water to make oxygen."

"Correct and they also make sugar. Then they use the sugar for energy. Do you remember what the process is called?" Daniel thought a moment.

"It's a big word that starts with a 'p'…"

"Right. Do you remember how to sound it out?" Simon asked. "It almost sounds like picture taking."

"Photo…syn…photosyn…thesis?"

"Right!" Spencer said. "And through photosynthesis chlorophyll is made."

"That's what makes the leaves green right?" Daniel asked.

"Right." Simon confirmed. "Just like you know you need water or that you're hungry, plants know that when winter comes there won't be enough water or sunlight to make the leaves green."

"So when the plants use up their reserve, what they've stored up during the summer, the green color fades to yellow or orange. And in some trees like the maple next door, they turn red or purple because the sugar is trapped by the sunlight." Spencer said.

"Why are some of the leaves brown?" asked Lilli.

"Once the food is all gone the leaf dies and falls off the tree." Spencer replied.

"Oh." was her quiet reply.

"It's nothing to be sad about sweetie." Simon said. "It's what nature does. The leaves die and we use them for other things like compost or feeding animals and when spring comes the leaves come back."

"How come I didn't learn this is school?"

"When you get older you will." Daniel replied.

"Alright. We've got two more bags to fill up and then what shall we have for dinner?" Spencer asked.

"Pizza!" was the enthusiastic response from their children. The husbands looked at each other.

"Pizza it is."

Later that night after the children had been put to bed, Simon brought in a flyer he been given earlier that day on campus. Spencer was having a relaxing glass of wine in front of the fireplace waiting for his husband to join him.

"I have an idea for tomorrow." He said as he handed him the flyer. "Some of the agriculture students were passing these out in the student center. Let's take the kids apple picking tomorrow. I think it will be fun and educational." Spencer looked at the flyer.

"I've heard of this orchard. They were organic before organic was in. This is a great idea Simon."

"We can take lunch with us and just spend the day out."

"Just apple picking tomorrow?"

"I'm sure they'll have other vegetables and fruits available. I know they'll have squash. I'm hoping to find some good looking acorn squash and some zucchini. Maybe they'll have some others that we can freeze and cook later."

"I wonder if they will have Brussels sprouts. Mrs. Black suggested that we try roasting them. It'll take the bitterness out, making them a little sweeter and maybe the kids will try them that way."

"Good idea." Simon said as he sipped his wine. "Hey, we could pick our pumpkin for a Jack O' Lantern if we want. I'm pretty sure they'll have some nice ones."

"Good idea as well." He replied as he snuggled closer to his husband.

Breakfast the next morning was a hearty one: pancakes, eggs and sausage.

"Why the big breakfast?"Daniel asked.

"We need lots of energy today for what we're doing later." Simon said.

"What are we doing later?" Lilli asked.

"We, are going apple picking." Spencer said.

"Cool! We've never done that before." Daniel said.

"Is it fun?" Lilli asked.

"Yeah, we get to go around all the trees and put as many apples as we can in a basket to bring home." Daniel said.

"There's going to be games, hay rides and all sorts of things." Simon said.

"Come on Lilli, let's hurry and eat so we can go!"

Simon was packing the cooler with their lunch. He made sure he had a container of peanut butter in there too. Dipping apples in peanut butter was his absolute favorite snack; it seemed to help him grade papers better. Spencer made sure to dress the children warmly; it was going to be a very chilly day outside. They made sure that their reusable shopping bags were in the car. It would be great to bring back their organic finds in.

Spencer didn't usually like to listen to the children's music CDs; the voices (and the songs) sometimes annoyed him. He preferred the classical or jazz station. When he did, he felt as if he were educating them not only on the finer things in life, but on the greater things as well. Today he indulged his children; they were just too excited for him not to. And as educated as Spencer was, sometimes nursery rhymes just didn't make sense. Maybe he missed that as a child. For example, the rhyme never said that Humpty Dumpty was a giant egg but he's always portrayed as one.

Once at the orchard, the children looked around at all the excitement; they didn't know what they wanted to do first. Simon suggested that they play some games first. Daniel was a natural at the apple tossing game. It was like playing tic-tac-toe using apples and tossing them into bushels. Lilli tried but couldn't quite get the apples close enough to the baskets.

"My arms are too short."

"That's ok honey," Spencer consoled. "We'll find another game for you to try." Oddly enough, the leaf contest just happened to be her game. The kids were required to get as many leaves as possible into their bushel in a minute. Somehow, she and her short arms won the contest. Maybe it had something to do with raking leaves the day before. After a few more games, it was time to take a tour of the orchard, which they all enjoyed. The short ride took them to a central dropping off point among the trees then each family could choose where they wanted to go.

The husbands decided to go to a side of the orchard that, for the moment, wasn't being frequented by many people. Getting first pick was appealing. Simon carried the basket in a borrowed wagon from the orchard while the children ran to find a tree to start.

"How do we know which apples to pick Papa?" Lilli asked.

"Well, we will start with those on the ground first. When they are ready sometimes they just fall off the tree. But we have to be careful not to find those with really brown or soft mushy spots. Like this one," Spencer said as he picked one up. "We don't want these. We want pretty red ones."

"What about the green ones? Do we want those too?"

"Why not? They all taste pretty good to me." Simon said. Daniel picked up a few.

"Does the size matter?" he asked.

"I don't think so son. Any size you find will be good for us." The children set about filling up the basket with all varieties of apples. Lilli turned out to be a more careful chooser than Daniel was. She was very particular about the colors; she wanted the right color red. Spencer didn't have the heart to tell her that some of those apples would loose the red peel in order to be cooked. After about an hour and a half their bushel was full and almost overflowing. A wagon came to take them back to the main stand to weigh their basket. The children were surprised at how many apples they picked.

"I'm very proud of you; you guys did a great job picking apples." Simon said giving his children a high-five.

"It was really fun daddy! Can we do this all the time?" Lilli asked.

"Well, apples in this part of the country are only picked during the fall. We still have a few weeks left this year but after that we'll have to wait until next year."

"We picked a lot of apples. What are we going to do with them?" Daniel asked.

"Pick some recipes and cook them." Spencer said.

"All of them?"

"Not all of them, but a good amount of them. We'll freeze them so we'll have some to eat whenever we want."

"Like apple pies for Thanksgiving?" Daniel asked, hinting with his mouth watering.

"Absolutely, like apple pies for Thanksgiving."

After weighing their basket and paying, Simon took it to the car and Spencer let the kids ride the mini-train. Simon brought back their picnic basket and their shopping bags for later. The children picked the perfect picnic spot; a nice sunny spot with the sweet smell of apples in the air. Simon saw a few of the other professors from the university. Apparently, they had gotten a flyer from the Ag students as well.

Simon took out his camera and started taking photos for the family album. He loved this precious time with his husband and children. Spencer was good at his job, but sometimes it took him away from their family- physically, mentally and emotionally. Secretly Simon wished that Spencer would give up the BAU and become a professor. He could teach just about anything anywhere. But deep down he knew Spencer never would. As long as Dr. Spencer Reid was catching criminals, he was learning and imparting knowledge- two of his favorite things.

"Ok, family photo time!" Simon set up the tripod to take a few pictures of them together. "Everybody say 'apple'!"

"Apple!" They all laughed hearty, joyful laughs. Then Daniel tapped Spencer on the shoulder.

"Tag you're it papa!" then took off running.

"Tag? I didn't know we were playing tag. I am coming after you Daniel!" Simon laughed at his awesome husband and two beautiful children tagging each other and running around. He couldn't help but snap away. The smile on his husband's face was priceless. Few things made Spencer Reid joyful; the laughter of his children was in his top three. After about five minutes, Lilli came and tagged Simon.

"You're it daddy!"

"Well, I guess you better run then huh?" Lilli laughed, screamed and ran. Spencer took a breather by taking a series of pictures with Simon's camera. His favorite shot was probably when they tackled Simon in a pile of leaves.

The game of tag was finally finished and everyone was taking a much-needed rest on the blanket. Cloud watching became the next subject of conversation. They talked about the type of clouds, cloud shapes, you name it. The sun was moving into position to set in a few hours and the temperature had changed. Simon suggested they head over to the Farmer's Market Tables to get their fresh veggies then head home. The children groaned when Spencer told them he was going to get some fresh Brussels Sprouts.

"Well then what to suggest we get for dinner tonight?"

"Pizza?" Daniel suggested.

"Nah, we did that last night." Spencer looked over the array of veggies before them. "How about we do that big spinach we had a few weeks ago? I'm sure they have sun-dried tomatoes here."

"Can we put apples in it instead of the cranberries this time?" Lilli asked.

"Si, I think we have a chef in the making! Of course, we can darling. Apples would be wonderful with the pecans."

Sunsets were some of Simon's favorite pictures to take and he managed to get a few of the sun seeming to set behind the orchard before they left. Once home, they let the kids help with dinner by washing the apples, tearing the spinach leaves and putting the salad together. Lilli and Daniel managed to pick out some great recipes for the apples. But it was clear that this day had worn them out. Daniel could barely stay awake while putting on his pajamas after his bath.

With their children tuckered out and tucked into bed, Spencer brought his husband a glass of warm apple cider into his office where he was looking at the pictures he had taken. He laughed at the ones Spencer had taken of him and the children in the leaf pile.

"Your photography skills have gotten better babe." Simon said taking a sip of the cider. "A little more practice and you could be my assistant."

"Thanks, but I think I'll keep my day job. The sunset pictures are absolutely beautiful."

"They are. I love the way the sun seems to be peeking through the trees here. Just lovely." Just then, their family picture came up and Spencer gasped. "Now that is a beautiful picture."

"You think so? My face looks funny."

"It's beautiful- your face and the picture. You're happy. Now worries from work or anything. I don't know if you know this, but the biggest smiles I see on your face are the times you spend with Lilli and Daniel."

"Really?" Simon nodded.

"I can't help but smile when you smile, because I know its pure joy when you do." Spencer leaned over and kissed Simon.

"I don't know which I like better, the black and white or the color."

"One of each?"

"Sure. I'll make sure there's one at my desk and one in my bag. Reminders of the greatest joys in my life."


	5. Snow Day

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters, songs, products, radio stations or name brands you'll recognize in this fic.

**Warning:** I think this will remain "T" throughout.

**A/N:** This is just a glimpse into my world of The West Wing's Josh Lyman and Sam Seaborn. If you haven't read these already please check out my one-shot (my only poem) called "Soft Kisses and Sweet Nothings", check them out chapter 10 in my multi-fic "Watching Him Sleep" and in their own fic "The Journey to Love: Love and Politics".

Chapter 4: Snow Day

_**The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found? **_

_**-J.B. Priestley**_

Snow in and of itself is an amazing thing; the science of how it forms flakes and how no two flakes are alike. People love the look of it as it blankets everything underneath it. They love the silence in the air as it falls. Peaceful. Falling snow is peaceful. Children love it most of all- no school, snowballs fights and snow forts. The cold air warrants a warm stick to your bones breakfast before going to play and a hot bowl of soup with grilled cheese for lunch after playing. Adults love it for a minute. Then the walkways and driveways have to be shoveled. There's slush in the streets when they drive, public transportation is slow. Despite the headaches, the magic is undeniable.

Being a California boy, Sam Seaborn absolutely _**loved**_ the snow. He had never really experienced it until he was in his freshman year at Princeton. It was two weeks until final exams and Christmas break. The campus was a fury of students going here and there gathering information for last minute projects and papers. Sam remembered the conversation he and some friends had on the way to dinner in the cafeteria one night. He and the fellas were bundled up; the air was very cold and crisp.

"Smells like snow." Christopher said.

"Sure does. Looks like it too." Jake replied.

"How do you know?" Sam asked.

"Know what?" Jake asked.

"How do you know what snow smells like?"

"You just do. It's hard to explain."

"Hard to explain what?" Sydney asked as he joined in the trek to dinner.

"The smell of snow." Christopher replied. "We're trying to explain it to Sam."

"Oh, well…when you've been around it all your life, you just know."

"It doesn't snow in my part of California." Sam said.

"Man, I forget you're from the West Coast." Sydney said. "You know how the air smells when it's going to rain?" Sam thought a minute.

"I guess it kinda smells…wet. Like when you have the water hose going in the summer."

"It's kinda like that. You just know."

It had been hours after dinner and Sam had studied all he could without giving himself a headache. Just before getting into bed, he looked outside his dorm room window to see if his friends were right. The flakes were silently falling. It was pretty and gentle. Just like he expected it to be. By morning, there was about six inches of it on the ground. Sam smiled as he looked outside his window when his alarm had gone off. The dorm monitor was going through the halls letting the fells know that class had been cancelled for that day but to be prepared because it would probably be open the next day. They did mention that the cafeteria would be open all day. So Sam dressed as usual and headed out to breakfast. He could always comeback and take a nap.

He was glad his mom had sent money for him to buy snow boots. Sam had bought them just in time too. As he and his dorm mates trekked back to the dorm, several of the dorm directors were outside shoveling snow. They asked the fellas for help, so they did. Their assistance didn't last very long before a few snow forts had been built and the snowball piles started to grow. Sam's first snowball fight made a deep impression on him. And every single snowfall he experienced after that was its own separate awesomeness. But none as great as that first one.

* * *

><p>It was a Saturday morning in Washington, D.C. and yep….it was a snow day. The first one of the winter season. It was a rare thing when the Senior White House Staff had a Saturday morning or Saturday off. But the impending weather reports prompted Leo to tell everyone to stay home unless there was an urgent call to come in. The streets would be clear enough by Monday for sure. Josh for one was happy with that; he was going to catch up on some much needed sleep. Not Sam. He could tell by the brightness peeking in from the curtains that there was snow on the ground and lots of it. And the smile on his face was huge.<p>

He turned to look at Josh and his boyfriend was buried underneath the blankets, sleeping peacefully. Sam shook him a little. Josh didn't move. Sam shook him a little harder.

"Josh?" He said. "Josh, wake up." A grunt was all he heard. "Josh, wake up."

"Nn..."

"Come on silly, wake up!"

"…Leo…phone…"

"No, Leo isn't on the phone. You should wake up and see the snow. It's beautiful!" Josh tried to give Sam his most annoyed look ever with one eye open, knowing that it was going to be useless, but he did it anyway.

"Snow's not going anywhere Sam."

"I know but I want to go play in it. You know how much I love the first snowfall."

"Then go play." Josh said, turning over and turning his back to Sam. He pulled the covers over his head again, making it very clear that if it wasn't Leo calling he didn't want to be bothered.

"Come on Josh." And in those few seconds, Josh Lyman had gone back to sleep. "Party pooper." Sam said as he got up to prepare to go outside.

Josh slept and woke up a few hours later with a guilty feeling. He knew how much his Californian-bred boyfriend loved the first snowfall. He remembered what Sam had told him about his freshman year at Princeton. Snow wasn't a big deal to Josh since he had grown up in Westport, Connecticut. When it snowed on the campuses of Harvard and Yale, it was just like being at home. Josh thought about his sweet Sam outside trying to build a snowman by himself in the backyard, because nothing was going to stop him from building one; he always did. Josh reluctantly left the warm comforts of their bed to get dressed, eat something and join Sam outside.

When he stepped into the backyard of their townhouse, he was indeed greeted by a snowman. Josh was impressed because this wasn't a puny snow figure. He had to be almost five feet tall.

"Well, who do we have here?" Josh asked as he descended the stairs.

"Josh, meet Stephan; Stephan this is my boyfriend Josh." Sam said smiling and presenting the snowman with his arms.

"Stephan, huh?"

"Yeah, he's Frosty's sassy gay cousin." Josh looked at Sam.

"Frosty has a gay cousin."

"Yeah, but they left him out of the song and everything. He's upset about it."

"Is he?"

"What do you mean 'is he'? Of course he is. Like all of us _fabulous _gay and bisexual people, he just wants others to know he exists. He's just like Frosty, just…sassier."

"Um, yeah. Babe, I think the cold air has gotten to you."

"Nonsense! I've been having a good time bringing Stephan to life."

"I see." Josh walked around the snowman to see the details that Sam had carved in. "I never realized that you were such an artist."

"I know. It's amazing what you can do with a stick huh?" Josh looked around the yard to see if anything needed shoveling but Sam had already cleared the space in front of the garage. He walked to the side gate where he could see a part of the sidewalk to the left of the front door, and it appeared to have been cleared. Therefore, Josh assumed that Sam had cleared the front as well. Before he could turn around to ask Sam a question, he felt the cold, wet sting of a snowball to the side of his face. Josh hung his head as he remembered Sam's other favorite things about the first snowfall…snowballs and snowball fights.

He turned to look at his boyfriend, who pretended to still be sculpting the snowman.

"Sam…"

"Yes dear?"

"You just hit me with a snowball." Sam playing the innocent replied:

"Who me? No dear, I'm working on Stephan here. Must have been the Thomas kids." Josh had quietly gathered some snow in his gloved hand.

"Seeing as how they live four houses _down,_ I don't think that's possible."

"Hmmm, now that you mention it you're probably right. As tall as Patrick is, he couldn't have made that from over there. Maybe it was the Isaacs' oldest son. You know he wants to play for the Mets some day."

"Please Sam, let's not make threats to my favorite team like that." Josh quietly walked closer to Sam. "You know, I don't think it was him either since they live in the _other_ direction."

"They could be playing together."

"Yeah. School's out. Could be." Sam was concentrating so much on keeping a straight face that he didn't know Josh was right behind him until he felt the snowball being jammed down his back between his skin and his undershirt.

"Oh my God Josh! That is cold!" He exclaimed, dancing around trying to get rid of it.

"Yeah, probably the same temperature of the one I felt on the side of my face!" Josh replied laughing.

"Oh, I'm _sooo_ gonna get you!" Sam said reaching down in front of him to make a snowball.

"Not before I get you first!" And before Sam could throw it, Josh hit him with another one.

"Oh it's on now."

"Bring it on snow boy, bring it ON." Josh said. And their snowball fight began.

* * *

><p>Josh and Sam had a fun time playing in the snow. They threw snowballs at each other as fast as they could make them. Then they made Stephan an equally sassy partner named Francois. After that, the snowballs started again and eventually the two lovers ended up making snow angels.<p>

"Ok, cutie I think it's time for us to go in. I can't feel my nose, fingers or toes." Josh said. Sam, being Sam pouted like a kid.

"Do we have to?" Sam whined. Josh laughed at him.

"I can't believe this. What are you five? Yes, we have to. We're gonna freeze babe! It's D.C. the snow will be here for a few days and then again in a few weeks." Josh leaned over to kiss Sam. "Great, I can't feel my lips either."

"Ok, we'll go in." Sam said surrendering. The couple headed back into the house, stopping in their small mudroom to take off their boots and wet coats. Josh hit the button on the coffee pot so they would have something warm to drink. Sam headed for their bedroom and found some dry clothes to put on then headed for the bathroom. A hot shower would warm frozen fingers and toes in no time. Sam stepped under the spray and soon felt fingers and arms surrounding him. Josh kissed the back of his neck as they stood under the water.

"Mmmm…" Sam hummed.

"It that for me or because you can feel your toes again?" They laughed.

"Both." Sam turned to face his lover and greeted him with a kiss. "Can you feel your lips now?"

"Absolutely."

After showering and changing into drier clothes, they headed back to the kitchen in the search of food. Playing in the snow always made Sam hungry. Josh poured them cups of coffee while Sam warmed up some beef stew and made grilled cheese sandwiches. They ate lunch in front of the fireplace, something they didn't get to do much. And Josh loved it. Once finished, they spent some cuddle time on the couch. Something else (depending on the week) they didn't get to do much.

Soft jazz music blended with the gentle crackle of the fire. Sam was sitting at the end of the couch with his legs draped over Josh's who was sitting in the middle. Josh was reading the paper. Sam was reading some novel he picked up the last time he was in the airport after realizing he forgot to bring reading material. Playing in the snow also tuckered Sam out. Sam had fallen asleep and Josh didn't realize it until the book had fallen out of his hands. Josh looked over to see his lover asleep, glasses slipping down his nose. Josh laughed to himself as he took Sam's glasses off and placed them on the coffee table with his newspaper. He then grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and eased himself behind Sam. Sam moved in his sleep to allow Josh space and he covered them both with the blanket. Sam nestled back into Josh's arms. Josh kissed him and whispered:

"You like to spend your snow day playing in the snow. I just want to spend my snow day with you."


End file.
